What is the Verdict, Supreme Watcher?

I’m not ready to give it yet.

May I remind you that the deadline is expiring soon?

I’m aware of this. Thank you.

We have been too long on this particular mission. Surely this little Planet is not so important to waste so much time.

Every planet is a unique phenomenon, every planet is precious.

Yes, you are right, but it is such a small planet. There has been bigger planets before and you made a decision faster.

Size does not matter. I’m looking all the aspects. Carefully. 

Some of us find your reluctance disturbing. Some say that you have become attached to those humanoids.

I’m a loyal servant of the Light. Does anyone doubt that fact?

No, your Supreme Wakefulness. Just that …

You can always request for my recall.

We would not dream to do that. We have a full confidence in you.

Or maybe, you are afraid that a new Watcher would waste more time than it would take me to decide?

No, your Wakefulness, we will wait for your decision. But I don’t see why it takes so long. The case is clear. Those beings are unreasonable vermins.

Well, I don’t see it that way.

Look what they have done to this planet. No sentient race would do such things to only home they have.

There are some among them aware of the damage. Some of them are developing technologies to reduce the effects. Given sufficient time, they might even correct things back to the normal.

Your Wakefulness had always had a high hopes for them. It is not forgotten that you urged us to give them boosts for technological advances more than once.

We had to speed things up a bit.

What were the results? Instead of working for the higher good they were developing the new and terrifying means of destruction. Most of their resource and time  wasted on developing machines and means to murder each other. And they were not reluctant to use them. It is sickening and appalling what they are  capable of doing to each others.

That is the truth, but there were some among them fighting that nonsense.

And they never prevailed. The others always had the upper hand. For every one of them working for the benefit of all, there were four or five doing everything to direct effort of others for their own greedy little goals. Those creatures are incorrigible.

Maybe with time they would become more civilized.

Your Wakefulness, when we started to monitor this planet the grand-grand-fathers of the ones living now were not even born. Have you seen any improvement since that time? I say no, they are much worse now. The technology we helped them develop, made them worse. Once they were fighting on the battlefields and the general population was more or less spared from the annihilation. Look what they are doing now. They are ready to eradicate the population of the whole cities, they are ready to root out millions of others, just for being different.

They made mistakes, but not every one of them did such a thing.

No, not every single one, just a vast majority. They are no good, you have to face it.

There is a good in them, I can feel it. Have you seen the works of art some of them have made? Have you heard the melody they composed? No soulless creature can do such amazing things.

Yes, I have seen, I have heard everything you did. But the most valuable pieces of art were created in the past. Things sold as an art these days are of dubious value.

It is not important what has been sold. The things of the eternal values have never been understood and received well at first around here. They need a time to find out what the real work of art is.

Your Wakefulness, they believe  in material values only. They do talk about the art, the soul, the higher good, but the greed is what drives them. Have you heard them say “The greed is good?”

It is a stage in development. I can’t see that this would last.

You should think about it again. They are already probing into the space. They are dreaming about expanding on the other planets. Oh, I know it is just a pipe dream. They are not capable to direct their efforts to the common cause. One way or another, they would fail. But nevertheless are you willing to take that risk with them? If they start spreading around, on this level of development, who can guarantee they would not make problems in the future. And I am talking about a big scale problems. Are you ready to take responsibility for what they might cause out there? If they just got a hunch of what there is? Could you imagine them armed with our weapons, in possession of our space technology, chasing their fortune all over the galaxy, at the expense of others?

So what do you suggest me to do?

Call our boys in. Let them clear the planet. We will have a clean slate, and could build it from the scratch again. No risk, no troubles with unreliable creatures. There are many races that would be grateful for a chance to start all over again.

We know each other for a long time. You know that I don’t like to act in this fashion. 

What we like or don’t has nothing to do with it. The time is running out, and there is no reasonable hope that anything would change. Can they get any better in the next two or three generations? I seriously doubt that. We gave them every chance, and they failed. They are bound to disappoint you at the end, you’ll see.

I know. Just that I hoped they would see the way one day.

That’s ain’t gonna happen. We would just waste our time waiting for them to come to their senses. It is a shame to waste our time on them, when the space is so great. You could oversee five or six planets before retiring. Hopefully, this could be some easier cases, and cleaner choices. Maybe there are some great victory ahead of you yet. Don’t be so crushed over this one defeat. Anyway, you are not alone in all this. For the sake of all of us, I implore you to make the Verdict now. What do you say?

Call the boys in the morning. You are right. I have hoped in vain.

You have decided wisely your Wakefulness.